IZANAGI
by Wallman Tenebrae
Summary: Reincarnation. A mysterious orphan boy has always been by Naruto's side even when the whole village shunned him. Follow the life of a 'Gifted Kid Burnout' as he becomes a ninja with his all new Team, all too willing to embrace the world of political corruption, extremist organizations and supernatural demons in order to prove himself in the Narutoverse. SI/OC. A smarter Naruto.
1. Prologue: Twelfth Night

_"As he cleaned his left eye, Amaterasu was born, as he cleaned his right eye, Tsukuyomi was born, and as he cleaned his nose, Susanoo was born. With his sister, he could turn imagination to reality."_

 **IZANAGI**

By Wallman Tenebrae

Prologue

* * *

I was surely awake. But when I opened my eyes, I could not see anything. _That is strange_ , I thought, _what time is it?_ I tried to move my arm to pick up my phone placed on the desk to the left of my bed, but I realized I had somehow wrapped myself up in my blanket. I tried to move my torso, but something was strange again, my body did not respond to me the way I wanted. It took me a while to understand that something was horribly, painfully wrong here.

Why can't I move? Why can't I untangle myself? Why am I so cold? For as long as I remember, I have never slept with my windows open. So where is this chilly wind coming from? This biting cold, cold air striking my face as I was unable to even cover my face? And lastly, why did my body feel so much in pain? Why do I have this great urge to cry so much?... _Wait, is that a tree I'm under?_

I am totally terrified now. I felt as cold as the air entering my lungs. I tried really hard to think about something scientific that could be the reason for my freakishly abnormal condition, maybe some psychological issue I may have read about. Mostly I was trying to force my mind away from thoughts of evil Cthulhu monsters and creepy Sadako ghosts.

Maybe it is that paralyzing sleep state, I thought, with a touch of desperation.

That could be plausible.

Yes. That is what it is.

' _Sleep paralysis' is when, during awakening or falling asleep, a person is aware but unable to move or speak. During an episode, one may hear, feel, or see things that are not there. It often results in fear. Episodes generally last less than a couple of minutes. It may occur as a single episode or be recurrent. Sleep paralysis most often occurs in people who have narcolepsy or sleep apnoea, but it can affect anyone._

Sometimes I would like to creep myself out, for no particular reason at all. Just to feel something as primal as fear. I would go to the weird side of YouTube and start watching 'haunting' videos. One such video I saw was titled 'Terrifying True Sleep Paralysis Stories'. These types of stories at 3'o clock in the morning would always do the trick, what knowing that even people with no history of psychological disorders can have one of these events was too much. I didn't sleep that night.

I heard footsteps. Rapidly approaching near me.

So, this is my first Sleep Paralysis episode. Okay, I'm ready. I may have some very weird hallucinations and feel some unnecessary fear. I knew that not opening my eyes was the best thing I could do in this situation. Don't open your eyes, don't see the monsters. The logic was sound. Ignore any growling or laughing sounds. Yes, I'm ready.

What I was not ready for was to be touched.

I closed my eyes as tightly as possible, hoping against hope for this… creature to go away.

Let it be recorded that I never, ever claimed to be brave.

But the situation quickly escalated. This creature had now lifted me up, quite easily too, and was, uh, holding me against his or her chest. (I really couldn't tell the gender.)

And then, cradling me, holding my outer elbow while my other arm was uselessly pressed against his/her body, the creature ran. The cold wind was mercilessly biting against my skin and my cheeks were numb and the creature was fast and I was wailing now. Hard.

That was not a great experience.

Because of the tears in my eyes, I had to open my eyes. And I saw a very normal-looking human face staring back at me. I blinked. And blinked again.

Was that… a ninja forehead protector from Naruto?

 _This isn't nearly as bad as I imagined._

 _..._

As the man kept running (jumping, actually), I kept thinking about what was happening to me. As the fear subsided, confusion came forth. This man was not a giant, however much I wished him to be. His elbow pit could touch my head and his fingers were touching the part of blanket just above my feet. But this man was not a giant, because the trees, the houses and the roofs were of relatively normal size to him. Which meant that I had answers to all the questions I had been thinking about since waking up, and not one of them helped me understand my situation any better.

I am a baby. I am of baby size. I can't untangle myself because I can't move my limbs properly because I am a baby. I feel cold because I am a baby kept out in a jungle. The wind was hitting me because I was not in the comforts of my home but in the wilderness, with the mosquitoes and the bears. Nothing made sense. I am an undergraduate student. I've not been a baby for nineteen years!

What was the last thing I had been doing? I don't even remember.

Wow. Awesome me.

I tried to recall from the morning. Woke up. Copied an assignment because due date. Got ready. On my way to campus when Mom called me. We had been chatting. And I was walking. And what happened next? I frowned. Ugh. My head hurt. There was something. Something important happened. I remember a light. Oh. _Oh._

It was a car. I only recall looking at the headlights, freezing up before my world went black. There was pain. So much pain that I'm surprised I could even forget that. My left leg and my stomach. Hmm. Did I die? Just like that? All that nineteen long years of living and a dumb car rolled over me and my life is finished? That… didn't set well with me. At all. I shivered slightly, and not just from the cold. I was killed. And now I'm somewhere else. Starting as a baby again. Reincarnation. I am born again. It has to be it. I'm not deeply religious, but I always believed in souls. I don't know why. There has to be something different between the alive and laughing me on the phone with my mother and the dead body I left behind on that fateful road to campus, right?

I never amounted to much in my short life. It was filled with regrets. I always thought, always knew that I had much more potential than I had utilized. I was a good student in the first year of high school, and then I couldn't care. I could draw well, but when I saw some people my age better at it than me and I just never drew again. I could sing. I could play the piano. But I left the classes when I thought I knew enough, and never tried again. I was a jack-of-all-trades in my mind, but by the time I joined my college I was nothing in anything. Just another one in the billions. One day, I was going through those memes, reading, never smiling and I suddenly found something I could relate to too much. Uncomfortably so.

Losing interest and quitting anything that doesn't come easily to you-Check, fear of not living up to full potential-Check, refusing to ask for help, existential anxiety-Check, thinking you're better than everybody else despite having nothing to show for it-Check, always looking for new form of escapism-Check, need for constant validation-Check, interest in psychology-Check, thinking you're destined for greatness-Check, nonexistent motivation-Check, demand of "free space" -Check, easily bored-Check, always tired-Check, reading Wikipedia articles in meantime-Check, trust issues-Check, night owl-Check. Check.

This meme was titled "Gifted Kid Burnout - Bingo". So, that's who I am. A _Gifted Kid Burnout_. At least now I knew. A stupid meme taught me that.

Escapism. Hah. They got that one absolutely right. I would read and watch almost any type of fiction I could find. Imagining myself in the corridors of Hogwarts Castle, or being a part of the Community, or easily pushing back Frieza, I could escape anywhere I wanted and I loved it. But certain works, I had an obsession with. I would go through their fan forums by day and fanfiction by night. I would read articles on them, watch them again, then read their reviews. And the work I most loved was one that I had grown up with. Masashi Kishimoto's ' _Naruto_ ' series. As the mistakes and regrets in my real life would become too much, I would take solace in my wonderland of shuriken and Sharingan. That was my coping mechanism. Actually, before my mother called me, I think I was reading a _Naruto_ fanfiction. Oh no, now everybody would know. Oh, the shame.

"Yakushi-san! Yakushi-san!", the man carrying me called, distressed. A woman walking ahead with shoulder-length light brown hair turned toward us, her head covered by a white coif. She had emerald green eyes. I had never seen green eyes in person before, so I was naturally surprised. She was wearing a black, loose-fitting gown with a white apron over it with sandals.

She said something in a foreign language. He replied something back. This language, this way of speaking and the sounds they made, I knew all too well. I did say that I was a fan of mangas and escapism. But that meant I was reincarnated in a Japanese village! The man gave me to the woman, Yakushi, and I stared had her. Soon after taking me in her arms, she started making cooing noises and I, tired from all the mental somersaults today, shortly fell asleep.

...

The morning was peaceful and it was sunny outside. It has been two days since I was 'born', and I have been carefully observing everything I can see. So far, I can deduce that I am at an Orphanage, since I am currently sharing a room with five other babies. Who are finally all asleep at the same time, thankfully. Yakushi is a woman in her twenties who is our caretaker. Oh, and I am in the Narutoverse. How did work that out? Well, the answer would be the pre-teen boy moping the floor in front of me. I did not catch his name, but he is a good boy. Helps the two caretakers of this orphanage with stuff. And wears a _forehead protector with the Leaf-insignia carved on the metal plate_.

He talks to me too, but I can't understand any of the stuff he says. Except some phrases like "Ohayo" and "Gomen'nasai" and some other commonly-used words. That's the extent of my Japanese, and I really dread learning a whole new language. But it's really irritating and even scary to not understand what anyone has been saying for days. So, I'll have to manage. As it is, I can't do anything but play with a toy the boy gives me for a few hours. All I can do is be hungry and wet my diapers and poop. Poor Yakushi and her partner have to deal with six bed-wetting cases and two-poop cases and three hunger-cases on an average from each of the babies. This must be downright exhausting for them, they can't get paid enough for this job. I try not to cry, partly to help them, mostly to salvage my dignity. But I can't speak; my vocal apparatus must not be good enough for that. So, cries do eventually escape my mouth and I shamefully drink the milk Yakushi gives me. But, I'll manage by. This is a gift from Gods. To be born in one of my most favorite places in fiction; I never thought that could be possible. So I've swallowed all my complaints for now.

Honestly, I'm kinda surprised by how well I took all this. No anxiety, no hyperventilation, no nightmares. I wish my family and friends to do well without me, but my journey in that world is over. I'm just glad I remember them and my bonds and memories with them. I have a new world to live in now, and after living with the weight of regrets for so long, I'm finally excited about some new chapters in my life.

There are some problems, of course. What should I be, a civilian or a shinobi? I could live a simple, average life with no regrets. Hmm. Maybe not average. I have some twenty years of experience in me; I'll try to earn money. Live a good life. Become a good Gatou; help people. Definitely help Yakushi with her Orphanage who has been so lovely to me. But I still don't know the timeline; it's not like the Hokage Mountain is visible from the windows, and my cradle doesn't even face the windows. Knowing the timeline will be very essential in deciding if I want to be a civilian or not. Third Shinobi War? Civilian, easily. Shinobis got killed left and right and Konoha was always safe from intruder attacks as far as I know. Boruto Timeline? No need to be a shinobi at all, be civilian. But the Main Timeline? I could probably be an Uchiha (I can't completely deny that) in which case Itachi would murder me, or I could even now become one of Orochimaru's experiments (I do fear I will see him any day now, with his fascination with kids, and this being an Orphanage in Konoha) in which case I absolutely can't be a civilian, or be a victim during Chuunin Exams, or be a victim in Kyuubi's attack, or be in the village during Pain's Invasion (even being shinobi can't avoid that death). I have just lived a short life and I plan on living longer now, average life expectancy of ninja be damned. I will become a shinobi if that's the timeline I am born in. I am destined for greatness, and I plan to utilize my full potential this time.

A thought crossed my mind. Where would Naruto be now?

Exactly ten days later, I heard people screaming, in pain and anger and fear. I saw Yakushi and her partner Aida worryingly running towards our room, saw the boy pale-faced and shaking and I got the answers to both my questions when I could _feel_ I was near something demonic. His Killing Intent was so strong that I didn't hesitate to wail, didn't hesitate to wet my pants. Dignity means nothing when facing death. Why was I born here? I loved the real world, goddammit. There was nothing in the real world so terrifyi- _oh_.

This demon is a metaphor for Nuclear Bomb. This is what the Japanese faced that day, the feeling of death, the feeling of everything you've touched, every place you've went to ceasing to exist. Villages have their Jinchuuriki as Countries had Nuclear Bombs; if one was launched, all the others will be launched too. What a terrifying and stupid world I was living in. Why did it take me so long to realize this?

Aida took me in one of her arms and another kid in the other. They were preparing to run. I tried my hardest to stop crying to help her a little, but a wave of Kyuubi's malevolent chakra hit me and any semblance of control I had shattered. And then waves and waves of that demonic, evil, evil chakra followed as Aida started running with Yakushi and some shinobi helpers, all little kids crying in their arms. I could see it as clear as day, all of them were heroes. They could will their feet to move when that was impossible for me in front of death. I couldn't run from that damned car and they were saving kids from Kyuubi. A great sense of inferiority hung over my head as I ceased to cry after a while. It took them almost half an hour, but they did it, they escaped far away from Kyuubi's path of destruction. It was now that it hit me; this was real. I could get killed anytime. I can't laze around and manage to scrape through this time. I closed my eyes tiredly, and slept through Kyuubi's subsequent capture and imprisonment. The next time I woke up was when Yakushi opened the door to our room with a bundle in her arms, closely followed by a much shorter and older man I'd never seen before in our miraculously spared Konoha Orphanage.

"Yakushi Nono-san, …", he whispered something.

"… hai, Hokage-sama.", she replied.

Two big revelations were casually thrown at me at the same time. This sweet and kind lady will be killed by Kabuto in a short while, and that man was Sarutobi Hiruzen.

Naruto was placed gently in the cradle near me. He was sleeping. He had the whisker-like markings on his cheek, and he had the seal on his stomach. He had become an orphan like me today.

#

To be continued.


	2. Chapter One: The Phoenix and The Fox

_"As he cleaned his left eye, Amaterasu was born, as he cleaned his right eye, Tsukuyomi was born, and as he cleaned his nose, Susanoo was born. With his sister, he could turn imagination to reality."_

 **IZANAGI**

By Wallman Tenebrae

Chapter One: The Phoenix and The Snake

* * *

"Fear of the unknown may be a, or possibly the, fundamental fear."

I realized I had always feared the unknown. I had not seen a ghost in my life, never had anything paranormal happen anywhere near me (till my death). Hell, I had never been terribly afraid of tigers or sharks even, with the safe distance in the zoos the closest I'd ever actually come to them. I lived in a safe neighbourhood my entire life, even during college. So, my overly active imagination was the mostly the only thing building fear in my mind, causing the occasional nightmares, until now. Until Kyuubi.

"Nii—chan!", little Uzumaki Naruto came running and stumbling, and promptly fell down just near me.

"Ouch.", I muttered, not really sympathetic. I've seen him fall down from worse places at worse angles than this in the last two years.

He pushed himself up gingerly, rubbing his nose. And realizing I was in front of him, got right back up. "…Hehe!", he sheepishly smiled, rubbing the back of his head. "Oh, yeah! Nonō-obaa-chan calls! Food!" He almost yells. I sighed, smiling fondly at him.

I closed my book on Kanji I'd barely paid any attention to and stood up from my small bed. "Right."

As I'd grown older, all the children my age were sharing rooms in groups of three. Naruto and I shared the same room; there was no third partner. Which was for the best since the other children had now actively started avoiding my Jinchuuriki roommate. It was heart wrenching to see, to be honest. He could not play with the other kids; they would do petty stuff like never select him in any team till the last, and finally tell him off.

' _We don' wanna play with you!_ '

Naruto would get furious, yell out whatever words he knew, and then sulk beside a tree outside. This adorable, pitiful 2-year-old was saving me from Kyuubi. I will be honest; I was actually scared of the baby Naruto for a while because of that seal. What if someone accidently puts Chakra in that seal and it malfunctions? What if me being here causes… something?

Oh well, the fears of the demonic and the diabolical have characterized medieval times, so that means I was fitting right in.

The orphans behaved better before they were allowed to go outside. Yakushi and Aida never turned them against Naruto, the villagers did. They must have said something, not using the word "demon" exactly, but probably warning them to avoid him or something along those lines. And it worked like a charm, since kids love to emulate elders when they are behaving deplorably, and are far crueler too. The orphans would come back, and day by day Naruto would lose more friends.

Nonō was neutral towards him at first; but to her credit, she warmed up to him after just a month. I could see that she genuinely fretted over him. Aida was older and sterner towards all of us, but perhaps due to a lack of shinobi background, she would still curl her lips in distaste if Naruto asked one too many questions to her. But the one I was most disappointed in was Urushi, the genin boy from before. He was friendly enough towards me, but outright ignored Naruto whenever he could (The only exception would be the times when Naruto would stubbornly cling to his pajamas.)

Looking at all this happening right in front of me, I couldn't just avert my eyes and pretend that all this was fine just because the boy would turn out to be fine in the end. So, I interfered with his life. I became his 12-days-elder brother figure who would teach him Japanese (while still learning it myself from Aida), indoor games and manners. And now he calls me his 'nii—chan' and I think it's probably been a year since he called me with my given name. Himura Suzaku.

How did I come up with that name? Well, the 'Himura' clan name is from 'Rurouni Kenshin' series, literally translating to "Scarlet Village".

Choosing my first name was surprisingly difficult. Goku, Vegeta or Gon were too bizarre for this period, I think. Light? Hah. Lelouch? Natsu? Luffy?

In the end, I settled for Suzaku, from 'Code Geass' series. I'm not too fond of the character, though; just loved the meaning of the word. "Vermillion Bird". I equate it to phoenix, and it just felt right; rising from the ashes, you know.

Back to the topic of loneliness; Being Naruto's brother came with certain (dis)advantages too. The leader of the orphans, 5-year-old Shirou-chan, told me, very seriously, that if I don't stop talking to Naruto they would not play with me anymore.

They couldn't figure out why I laughed so hard at them.

I have hundreds of books to read, Japanese is really difficult to write, and frankly, being forced to play games to blend in with the crowd was starting to grate on my nerves. I told this to Urushi when he tried to force me away from Naruto too. He doesn't bother me much now.

"There you are Suzaku-kun! I thought Naruto-kun forgot to get you!"

Yakushi was sitting on the low dining table with food, smiling at us. She always looked happy when she was taking care of the kids. Looking at her would give me the kind of pain I imagine talking to a relative suffering from a life-threatening disease would give. Two years of pondering over her situation had made me realize that it would be really impossible for me to save her without tipping my hand. I didn't even know when she had to go. I had seen Danzo once; he came almost every six months to talk to Nonō and probably give her those doctored photos of Kabuto. It is entirely likely that I will wake up one day and find her to be gone on her long-term mission. And all the information I have right now would feel totally useless.

I could tell her about the cause of her death right now. Right now, as she was serving me my plate; but I was not prepared to answer the wave of questions that would follow. This was the life I had been dreaming of; living with no regrets was, you could say, my nindō for this life. But I felt hopelessly trapped by this situation. Trapped in my fear.

Fear of the known; If I don't do anything, Nonō would get murdered soon.

Fear of the unknown; What will she and the Hokage do to me if I tell her? What if Danzo hears about this? What will _he_ do to me?

"What happened Suzaku-kun? You don't like it?" Nonō questioned, looking at me with a frown.

Naruto tugged at my sleeve. "Ne, ne, nii—chan! It's good!" He had almost finished his plate.

"Sorry, Nonō-san." I started eating, pushing those thoughts away for now.

#

"Nii—chan! Let's play!"

"…What?"

"Ninja! I'm Hokage and you're bad ninja!"

"Again?"

"Hai-hai!" Naruto was grinning, and I automatically smiled at him. He really had this effect on me; he was the only one I was totally comfortable with. We went out to the open area in front of the gates of the Orphanage. It was a sunny afternoon; Konoha rarely had any other type of weather.

So, I had to become a fairly strong ninja.

It is really audacious to even think of something like this, not to mention cheesy, but the reason is to protect Naruto. Naruto 'the end product' would be of course, spectacular to see with my own eyes. I might even forget myself and attempt to get an autograph from him. But the current Naruto who calls me his brother? Well, I really don't want him to suffer. Watching his story on screen made me teary-eyed more times than I would like to count; seeing it in person; I don't think I will survive that.

Again, it is a very stupid 'plan', because I am someone who couldn't even save himself, so protecting someone else, especially Naruto, seemed beyond the bounds of possibility already. But I _will_ live without any regrets this time; I'd already made up my mind about that. So, the next problem to tackle would be that how can I, a clanless orphan boy, become strong enough to help Naruto during the whole Akatsuki chaos?

I don't really know the amount of chakra I have, and that is the knowledge that will help me decide how to forge my path to 'greatness'. The only clanless badasses I know of are Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Minato Namikaze, Might Guy, Kurenai Yuuhi, Rock Lee, Tenten, and Sakura. So breaking their fighting styles down, I can see that Jiraiya has his Fuuinjutsu and his summons, Orochimaru has his genius, Fuuinjutsu and summons, Minato Namikaze has his genius, speed, Fuuinjutsu and summons, Might Guy and Rock Lee have Taijutsu, speed and not-so-reliable Eight Gates, Kurenai has Genjutsu, Tenten has weapons, and Sakura has Medical Ninjutsu and summons. So, if I have good enough chakra – Fuuinjutsu; not-so-much chakra (and hence good enough control) – Medical Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. The most I can do for now is to try to increase my chakra. Chakra is the combination of spiritual and physical energy. Both can be increased – but spiritual energy can only be increased to your body's maximum capacity. I have to do a lot of reading and meditation, and simultaneously start training my body as well. Maybe start on Fuuinjutsu theory and Medical-ninjutsu theory too; only when I'm able to execute techniques will I be able gauge my chakra capacity.

I heard footsteps approaching me. Naruto was trying to be as stealthy as possible, which wasn't much. He had to 'catch' me now – yeah, just a variation of Hide-and-Seek. I let him catch me, eager to go back and study a little, maybe get this brat to study on his chakra control too. But, as we neared the Orphanage, I saw him. The Aburame bodyguard of Danzo. It was way before they were supposed to come, and Danzo used to personally visit at those times. I had a suspicion as to why the Aburame was here today. So, I rushed to my room, took out a copy, quickly tore a page, got the ink and a brush, and started writing furiously, messily on the paper. I ran to her office and placed the page on the desk, hoping against hope that she would come here one last time.

 _Your target is Kabuto. The one whose photos you have is not him._

It was very late that night that I could even feel like sleeping. Tension for Nono kept me stressing throughout the day. I got out of the bed and silently made my way to her office. I didn't even know if she saw the note. As I sneakily entered the office, my eyes instantly went towards the desk. The note wasn't there.

As I mentally cheered and quietly made my way to the room, a movement out of the windows made me stop in my tracks. I slowly turned and hoped I was imagining things.

Orochimaru was holding Shirou-chan in his arms, the boy suspiciously unmoving. He left via Shunshin no Jutsu.

I stood silently for a long while, eyes flaring wide and a gasp not quite leaving my lips.

#

"Why did you bring me here? What do you want with me, anyway?"

Orochimaru smiled at him from his seat. "It seems… that the number of questions you have keeps on increasing. And that's a good thing, too. People can never escape their desire for more knowledge. That is what you followed me all the way here for, isn't it?" He inwardly smirked at the look of pure anger in his eyes.

"THEN HURRY UP AND TELL ME ALREADY!" Kabuto bellowed at him. He took deep breaths, and continued in a much more civil tone "You know what I want to know…"

"Hmmm." Orochimaru wanted to drop the bomb without any foreplay, just to see the anger in Kabuto's eyes again. Angry people were the easiest preys, and he would completely win this boy over by the time he was finished. "Well, to be completely blunt, ROOT had decided to dispose of both you and Mother. You were both too brilliant as spies to be kept alive. You knew… too much."

Kabuto stilled, his eyes wide. Shock then gave way to confusion. "But they… made us risk our lives for that information! For Konoha! And this is what we get?" His hands were shaking, making Orochimaru smirk when he noticed it.

"Sometimes, information is more dangerous than powerful jutsu or heavenly weapons. And right now, both of you were dangerous entities. Your fate was already written; the script called for both of you to be killed with a mutual strike. Right after you left, Danzo told Mother the real reason you joined Root- the Orphanage's money problems." He shook his head in mock-sadness. "Mother wished to liberate you from ROOT. So, she accepted to do one last mission, which was, ironically, to assassinate you! Not that she knew it was you. There was other trickery involved too. You and mother were sent to separate enemy territories, so that you would never meet. And", he threw the photos of a white-haired teen wearing glasses similar to Kabuto's at his feet. "Mother was kept informed of your wellbeing and progress via photos. Photos that were artistically doctored to make Mother think someone else was you. You were skillfully replaced without her even noticing. Gradual Brainwashing. That's why Nonō tried to kill you; she thought you were just another traitor of Konoha."

In truth, Nonō never tried to kill him, surprisingly so. She was actually looking for him, he thought with a frown. How she knew that didn't matter now; maybe the ROOT underestimated the woman too much. So, he went in and threw some kunai at Kabuto's general direction, making him turn and throw that killshot at his beloved Mother. Maybe Nono could have dodged but she didn't, perhaps realizing that if she was dead, Kabuto had a better chance of getting out of this situation alive. A mother through and through.

Poor Kabuto grit his teeth. _Almost there,_ Orochimaru smirked.

"And then what? You were sent to kill whoever would still be alive? Is that what happened?"

He decided to hit the boy where it would hurt the most. "For someone who doesn't even know who he is, you're quite perceptive!"

Kabuto didn't react with words. He dashed towards him in rage, Orochimaru's status as one of the The Legendary Sannin forgotten, and made Chakra Scalpel, a technique he had good control over, the Snake-summoner noted with excitement.

The former spy slashed at his neck with lethal precision, drops of Orochimaru's blood flying in front of his eyes. Kabuto then continued to slash and gut his body as he screamed with rage and sadness…

"I just wanted to know who I was! And…and I thought I finally found it! But I've lost it again; thanks to you ROOT _bastards_!"

…

…

 _And it is done._

#

To Be Continued.

A/N: Nono's mission is a little different in my Story. She was given the mission to kill Kabuto only after Danzo saw his skills. The canon one is a long-term mission, which makes no sense to me. Orochimaru took the opportunity to grab kids because he can. This is according to canon, he was lax and used his original form because it's his last day in Konoha. He doesn't give a damn if anyone sees him. Plus, he can catch up with Nono with his summons.


	3. Chapter Two: The Way Of Strategy

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto series. It is an original work of Masashi Kishimoto. This is a fan-fiction.**

 **IZANAGI**

By Wallman Tenebrae

Chapter Two: The Way Of Strategy

* * *

I keep looking at the ceiling of my room. I don't want to get up from bed, though the cheery Konoha sunshine has been hitting my face for a while. This light seems very out of place right now.

Okay, I am Himura Suzaku.

I kept reminding myself of this name ( _my_ name) as much as I can, so that maybe I can be this person. For real. Because I fear I never will be. I don't know how all this would work, actually. For all my planning and ambitions, maybe there will soon come a day when someone will look me in my eyes and realize that I am an abomination. That I should not be here. That I am something different, and I can never blend in with others and be normal. Be normal like these pre-teen magicians and murderers. So, yes, I'll keep reminding myself who I am now. I will lose my identity and wear this entirely different skin around my soul and pretend to be normal and no one will notice.

I am the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It's awful.

I am 3 years old today. No, I will not be 23 years old exactly twenty-seven days from now, no. I am a 3-year-old.

I am a 3-year-old _young_ child, because I stopped being called a toddler once Nonō and Aida had looked into my eyes one day.

I am 96 centimeters tall and weigh 17 kilograms. I have slightly curly dark-brown/blackish hair and brown eyes. I wear a mustard-colored t-shirt and grey shorts. By all accounts I should have been an average toddler orphan. But Aida had clearly been talking to Nonō about how I looked unnaturally mature in comparison to all the other kids in the Orphanage, and Nonō had readily agreed, to my growing horror. I knew she was a former ROOT shinobi, so she could definitely have heard the quickened, audible heartbeats from my chest. But she said nothing, and quietly told me the next morning to look after the new babies residing in my previous room, and I had just been too relieved to argue at that point. Maybe it was our mutual secret that she wouldn't tell anyone, but I was still quite disturbed by what they thought of me. What did she think about me? Was she confused by my show of nervousness? Could she have deduced something about me from that event?

I'd agree that those were some pressing concerns in my mind for weeks, but I had never outright asked (as she didn't). And now I will never know.

I think I have probably read too much fanfiction. I always thought I could change things, just because. I was always a firm believer of The Butterfly Effect; that a small change in a small state could somehow cause large differences in later state in time. A nudge. A push in the right direction; that was all it would take to change fate. This was the imagination of someone else, right? No matter how great of a genius Masashi Kishimoto could be, he couldn't have created something as complex as a World, and my task would be easier. Just point out the evil people and they are killed and we are safe. My basic plan after nearly three years of plotting was that I would always be there when someone innocent could possibly be killed, and be the knight-in-shining-armor and snatch them away from the hands of death. Or point the right kind of people towards saving them. And I always saw myself patting my own self on the back, thinking how clever I'd been, laughing at myself for having no regrets.

Stupid. _Stupid._ Extremely stupid.

She had gone for her mission the last month. It was only a week before that we came to know she was dead.

Now, I'd not had a good night's sleep since the ROOT shinobi had come to _graciously_ inform Aida that my mother-figure in this strange world had been Killed in Action (and I was barely managing before, thanks to Orochi-kun). You know how when you go to your bed to relax and close your eyes to sleep and suddenly your sadistic mind says _no_ and starts that awful memory playlist of all the mortifying things you have ever done? From your terrible grades you still haven't shown your parents to your embarrassing encounter with your crush, not stopping until your palms are sweaty and you have thrown your blanket away to bring the cold sensation on your skin? That works terribly well when one of these memories is how you had all the information to save a loved one from dying a horrible death and didn't do anything.

They still haven't brought her body back. It has already been a week, and it's Danzō, so I don't think I will ever see her face again. And the Orphanage has no pictures of her, so I guess I will begin to forget what she used to really look like after a while. And isn't that a sad thought.

But, I still haven't cried for her. Not once.

I sighed. Got up (finally), brushed my teeth and combed my hair like a good boy, and opened the door to my room to go check on the babies. Aida was always busy nowadays, with being our only caretaker and trying to arrange Nonō's funeral and whatnot. Naruto was also somewhere else right now, sulking most probably, and I am not a sensor who can pinpoint his presence. So, I let him be wherever he is. I am more worried about my and the other children's safety right now, to be honest. Orochimaru was officially declared as a missing-nin and a traitor to Konoha just the night after he took Shirou-chan. Shamefully I wince, since I can't bring myself to care about the boy much; I feel numb, and tired.

As I place my hand on the door to slide it open, the wailing grates my ears. In a second, I am cradling baby number two (they don't really have names yet; us orphans get to choose our names), making cooing noises at her and it is then that my mind comes to terms with the fact that I am still shaken up about Orochimaru, even after so many long weeks. I mean, what stops him, really? Sarutobi doesn't give a damn about the Orphanage. We get pitiful funding while his old friend Danzo and his precious Snake continue to take our children and experiment on them like we are rats or something. Dear Orochi could come right and snatch this baby girl from my arms and I would just freeze up and wet my pants in fear while he would cackle all the way to his dingy labs. I have no doubts about that, and hate myself for it. _No regrets_ indeed.

Let me make this perfectly clear right now; I do not have an ounce of respect or admiration for the Third Hokage since coming here. He is a joke and I do not care if he could master five chakra natures or whatever. He chose not to save Yakushi Nono and the countless orphans of Konoha because he doesn't want a war with ROOT, in return giving them total access to more orphans to strengthen their army. Hey, he is a _genius_ , really. I wonder what he would have done if ROOT would have started becoming even more blatant than asking the Aburame's Torune to join them while he was sitting in _his house_ , or killing Shisui, or not doing anything during the Suna-Oto Invasion. Yeah right. It's not a question to even consider speculating on.

The baby has quieted down; she is blinking up at me. I imagine she's curious about me. Maybe she is someone from another universe too; maybe she remembers too.

Heh. That would be comfortingly wonderful. Someone real to talk to.

She reaches for my face, and I let her. I feel her delicate small hands caressing my cheek without any concern whatsoever. Human babies. I always felt awed and mystified when I saw them. I've heard about many people not liking babies if they aren't a dog's or cat's, that they can't tolerate a baby that's not theirs, and I honestly can't understand them. My cousin brother was born when I was entering high school. My uncle and aunt literally lived just two blocks away, so I would be at their flat all the time the first few weeks after he was born. It was the first time I came to know that I could love someone so easily. Just because he was looking at me.

I was his babysitter almost all the times Aunt had to go somewhere. I always called him 'dada'; I don't know why, it started as a joke first that he would grow up thinking that he was my dad, but soon it became a habit I never bothered breaking out of. My baby brother, my 'dada', would giggle sometimes, and it was the most amazing sound I'd ever heard. The way his eyes would light up was mesmerizing to me. He could do no wrong in my eyes. He would cry; god he would cry, and I did not know how to handle him and I would do every trick to make him laugh, to distract him, make him forget the pain and I could not stop till he was down to just sniffing. The good moments with him were precious; and the not-so-good moments were all worth it in the end. I came to their home one day, picked him up like I always did, and he giggled and said "dada!" and all the fatigue from school vanished from my body.

It was the second word he'd said after 'mama'. I am still proud after all this time.

We only called each other 'dada' since then, to the amusement of my family and confusion of everyone else who ever heard us.

He was seven the last time I saw him. Before I died.

I didn't notice I was crying until I felt Baby Number Two's hand against my wet eyes.

 _Shirou-chan was just five._

#

The day was oh-so-surprisingly sunny. Cloudless light blue sky against the brilliant green waves of trees. The Konoha Orphanage was situated on the outskirts of the village, and there was no other establishment around us. It was a fairly quiet place; it was a ten-minute walk to reach the main market from here. I only went there once or twice a week, mostly to borrow books from the Library and get things for the Orphanage with the money Aida, the only warden now, gave me. My Japanese was adequate now; I could hold conversations with the vendors and the like for the most part. Some local words and phrases would still give me problems though, but conversely, I knew some pretty difficult words thanks to the constant reading I did. And I've had situations where I had to dumb it down for the general populace since these words, while they look good in texts, are generally never used in common conversations. My command over the language was definitely better than all the kids I lived with though, and it was a fact I was a little proud of, since there were seven-year-olds at the place too, and I was three (Hah!).

I tried, I really tried, to instill in Naruto a love for books and language, but that was a doomed mission from the beginning. The only way I could teach him was through verbal lessons, which could hold his attention for about half-an-hour or so. (We didn't have watches in this world and clocks were a rarity in the Orphanage; only one clock hung in the main office.) I was somewhat successful in teaching him about manners, though. The Japanese are a very polite and respectable bunch; even though they hate each other, not many people act bluntly. Formality is, I guess, associated with class and upbringing of oneself. So, a clanless orphan like Naruto would not really be treated with the level of respect that a kid with a poor family would get, and then his lack of formality would just lower his class down even more. Petty, I know, but it's just how the world works. Aida doesn't teach him much and leaves him to me mostly, and that's just fine by me. Atleast there's no "demon" shit going on. Passive-aggressiveness works for me. (Thank God I wasn't in a fanfiction world.)

He is energetic, like, _very_ energetic and overactive and loud, but he's bearable on even his bad days. I like to think it's due to me but I don't really have a way to measure up his progress; the series didn't show us much about his childhood so much. Eh. He calls Aida "Aida-san", probably copying me, but that's still the first time I've heard him use the -san honorific and that's good enough for now.

I grabbed one of the library books I was reading. My studies were meticulous and intense so far, although not particularly fruitful. But, perhaps due to the fear, my brain felt very focused, and it seemed as if I had a clear goal in mind, but alas, I had no clue for what it was. Or perhaps it was just the crying that made me feel lighter; it was the first time I cried in 3-4 years (not counting the involuntary baby-bawling), I am a man, thank you very much.

I took my Fuuinjustu theory book and went outside to sit under the shade of one of the few Camphor trees nearby. The only time I'd seen a Camphor tree before was in animation (My Neighbor Totoro). It had a wavy appearance, but didn't smell much; If it did, I don't think I would be able to sit for more than a few minutes, as Camphor has a pretty strong smell. Plus, it is one of the few trees on which the Cicadas aren't singing their ugly loud "melodies". I was never an avid admirer of nature. Too many weird insects for my liking.

So, I cleared the ground with my foot and opened "Advanced Seal Engineering Theory". I had finished almost half the book. It was a pain; the only thing that keeps me going is that I have many ideas that would have to be thoroughly tested and I can't wait to begin. All the barriers and Space-Time Techniques, god that would be glorious!

The science behind Sealing is really unconventional. And really complex. In an oversimplified analogy, it's like pursuing a degree for surgery, with the studies of mathematical functions and coding mixed with it. It's no wonder there are so few practitioners left. I mean, there is a very distinct possibility that even after going through all these difficult courses, you won't be able to use it much in the Shinobi field. It would take me maybe ten to fifteen years to be able to become proficient at Fuuinjutsu, and then I will be inventing seals. But if the natural talent is not there, then all I would be doing was wasting 3-4 hours to make a seal, using weapons or papers to try to use the seal on my opponent and catch him in my trap. You know, restrict their body movements, or block their sight, or block their usage of chakra, etcetera, etcetera. Shinobi worth their name could find a way to defeat their opponent without it's use, and they do. Fuuinjutsu is not a practical enough field to expertise in unless you are constantly going against the likes of tailed beasts and Gods like Shinigami and the Sage.

One more hindrance in learning Fuuinjutsu is that for a person with no previous ancestors' adept at Sealing, it is lengthier than fifteen years to become a master. You see, for people of the same blood, chakra flows similarly (that's a topic complicated enough on its own). It is the reason why the Clan system is so popular everywhere. Secret techniques can be learnt by anyone who knows how the chakra is supposed to flow during the execution of a technique, which tenketsu are supposed to be in use. So, the people would never write down the instructions for the technique in a scroll or a book, they'd teach it to their children verbally. For the Sealing techniques, how this theory comes to play is that different people have to make different seals for the same functions according to their chakra; by 'different seals' I mean the design, the characters, would be quite different from each other. Like using different formulas of Calculus to come to the same answer. Like using different coding languages to make the same application. There would be similar parts and dissimilar parts. So, people like Jiraiya and Orochimaru would have been working on their mastery till their early thirties to achieve excellence in this art. Also, I have a feeling that since Minato was a genius (record for highest marks at the Academy graduation exam) he quickly found a way to use Jiraiya's Sealing Methods and incorporate them in his own Techniques, giving him a rare opportunity to make something as amazing as the Hiraishin. But of course, he didn't _make_ it like create it, he found a way to use the Hiraishin Seal that Tobirama Senju made. I can't even begin to imagine how he got to use it; Jiraiya must have had a scroll or two about it in hand, or maybe he just had one of his weapons with the seal inscribed on it, and they reverse-engineered it to make it usable for Minato. Greatest Shinobi ever, bar none.

It is the also the reason, I think, for the Uzumaki Clan's near-extinction. A whole island of shinobi expanding the seal-work techniques; they could've started any idea as a theory and the sheer number of people in the Clan could have converted it into a fully-functioning Seal, ready for use. No wonder people were afraid of them.

So, yeah, unless I am a genius like Yondaime and have a teacher like him, I am doomed. But this is the only way for me to get stronger. Why? Well, that's another story.

Now, I am clanless. I had a very, very small hope that I was a Hyuuga or Senju (not an Uchiha. Don't wanna fight Itachi on D-Day.) since I realized I was born in Narutoverse but alas, that's not the case here. I am similar to Sakura. Actually, my chakra is more similar to Sakura than Naruto or Sasuke is what I want to say.

Chakra combines two energies: Spiritual and Physical. Spiritual Energy is the energy of the mind; the imagination, the experience, the intelligence. While the Physical Energy is the energy of the body; the stamina, the strength, the speed. This is the very basics of Chakra. Now, when we talk about 'chakra reserves' and 'chakra control', these are very layman terms. Chakra reserves in reality refer to the Physical Energy, while Chakra Control refers to the Spiritual Energy. If you naturally have incredible stamina and strength and endurance, you may very well have a high amount of Physical Energy, or 'chakra reserves'. If you have a very sharp mind, are very mature for your age, or are very creative, you may have a high amount of Spiritual Energy, or 'chakra control'. So, if you have high Physical Energy and low Spiritual Energy, you can't control your chakra properly because your mind cannot take the burden and you will waste your energy. Conversely, if you have high Spiritual Energy and low Physical Energy, your body won't be able take the burden and you will feel exhausted quicker than your contemporaries. So, Physical Energy helps in the amount of jutsu you can throw, while Spiritual Energy helps in the effectiveness of your chakra usage and jutsu.

Since I am reincarnated with all my memories intact and the mind of a 20-year-old in a body of a 3-year-old, I think I know which energy I am blessed with. And it is very fortunate that it is Spiritual Energy that I have more of. Physical Energy is named "physical" because it has a form; the 'chakra' that Byakugan and the other sensors can see is the Physical Energy mixed unconsciously with a little of Spiritual Energy. So, I will never have to explain why it is so high when I am just an orphan. When we execute a Ninjutsu technique, our mind (Spiritual Energy) imagines the technique, contacts with preferred one of the seven chakra natures, and the Physical Energy makes the form come to life. Now, if I imagine a Great Fireball as big as a house and push all my chakra into this technique, the physical part of the chakra will make a fireball as small as a football and quickly bring me down to earth, while exhausting me for a better effect.

Chakra has seven Natures: Fire, Earth, Water, Lightning, Wind, Yin and Yang. The last two are rarely used because as with Fuuinjutsu, they are difficult to control without practice and the other five work well enough for ninjas. Yin Release is directly related to Spiritual Energy, while Yang is to Physical Energy. Yin Release is used in creating Genjutsu, Sealing Techniques and the Nara and Yamanaka Clan Secret Techniques while Yang Release is used in Medical Ninjutsu and Akimichi Clan Techniques.

So, according to the scrolls I have gone through till now, I will have excellent chakra control. I can start on Genjutsu and Sealing Techniques right away. But for Medical Ninjutsu, I also have to develop my ability to use Yang Release, or my Physical Energy or chakra reserves; In other words, I have train my body very rigorously. Which I'll have to do anyway when I learn Taijutsu, so I have that option open for now too. But I've given all my time to Fuuinjutsu for now.

So, back to "Advanced Seal Engineering Theory" now. Then start on Calligraphy and the "Sealing Characters for Beginners" book; then "Fundamental Sealing Modules". Yay, studying is fun.

#

Aida Masayo had always been average in all talents as far as she remembered. And unlike others, she had never considered it a problem. She was born to loving, caring and stupidly sacrificing shinobi parents, the types you unfortunately get to see so much of in this village. She still did not know how someone could make such a horrible decision of leaving your child alone in this world filled with darkness and terror, with only their fleeting memories and the deep scars of pain carved on the poor one's innocent heart. How could they entrust the jaded and ultimately self-serving adults to take care of their precious offspring? It baffled her. Her parents had died during the Second Shinobi War; she was six then. Left to the care of his father's brother and his family. She was a naively pitiful child at that time and the dreary daily routine of scolding and beatings from her aunt had helped her. Helped her come to terms with some fundamental truths about humans and society that she would have ignored if her wonderful mother and father were still alive; The best of the populace would at most pity her and feed her when her aunt kept her hungry, and the worst of populace was her aunt, she still had no doubt about it.

So, she had decided to be a savior. Because it was the one thing she had allowed herself to believe when she would feel depressingly, hauntingly alone. Things would get better when her savior would arrive. He would punish her aunt and her horrid cousins and she would get to eat good food. Maybe it would be Nidaime-Sama, maybe an ordinary vendor. She had allowed herself to believe this hopeless lie for years till her aunt died due to an illness and she felt herself freed from her cruel clutches, at least until she sadly realized that no, a part of her would forever remain terrified of that woman, no savior had come to save her. So, she decided to be a savior. The one that these maddeningly idiotic shinobi could leave their kids to. She would save that innocence and naivety in their eyes, and she would dream of strangling these dead shinobi in the nights; her own parents included.

These foolish people actually thought that they were leaving with their children something more than despair and loneliness. She really couldn't see what it was.

Nonō was like her in some ways. She felt comfortable around her despite the differences in their upbringing. Or maybe they weren't so different after all. They were broken way beyond repair in some ways, she thought. One was trained to become an emotionless tool while other was abused till well into her late teens. But both held on to some parts of their original selves through the rough years. Both felt a need to save other children from the same pain they felt too.

The one thing Nonō cared the most about was that no child would be abandoned for hounds like Danzō Shimura to pounce on as she was. She really, really didn't want anyone to suffer like she did; she wanted to protect every single child from the dark branches of ROOT. It was the most important goal in her life.

For someone like her to be forced to give a child to Danzō himself; she couldn't even imagine the kind of pain Nonō felt. And she knew that it was no coincidence that her innermost desires were so violently trampled on. Danzō planned to strike her where it hurt the most; that man was a disgusting piece of scum, a sort of contemporary to her dear aunt.

These were the thoughts going through Aida Masayo's mind as gazed the small grave of her dear friend. She deserved better than this useless small rock; but it had to be within budget. As much as she disliked shinobi and their sacrificing tendencies, she couldn't help but wonder how much better it would be if the Konoha Orphanage was under the rule of the Shinobi Administration instead of the civilian counterpart. Danzo couldn't have blackmailed them so blatantly that way; the Shinobi Administration was directly overlooked by Hokage-sama. And for all his faults, Sarutobi Hiruzen was a kind man. He loved children. Maybe she could have had a better funding for Nono's memorial service. Or Nono Yakushi's name could have had been engraved, rightfully so, on the Memorial Stone for all her service to the village till the end of her life instead of this small grave in the Konoha Graveyard where the merchants could afford luxury even in death as the poor enviously looked on.

She looked behind her. The children were standing in cheap black wear, some of them bawling and sniffing, while some were curiously looking at their surroundings in confusion; they were the young ones. But even among the young ones there was a solemn child looking at the grave with clear sadness in his eyes: Suzaku-kun.

A precocious child indeed.

He was holding _that_ kid's hand. She was not terribly fond of Naruto but She never hated him either. But alas, he was a source of many problems for her due to the hate the Civilian Council had for this boy. She did not understand the first thing about Shinobi Techniques, but sealing a Tailed Beast Demon _inside_ a child was understandably too difficult for her even wrap her head around. (The Hokage had given up on her after a few minutes of explanation, and turned to Nonō for help.) She had been a teacher all her life; she would still privately tutor some clan heirs for extra money (which was increasingly difficult to do now as a single warden and all the more necessary for it; she shook her head in disgust.) It was nothing like she had ever heard a Shinobi could do. Combining that with the whisker-like marks on the boy's cheeks, it was no wonder some people considered him to a form of the demon itself. She had seen the boy grow though, and seen the multiple times he would fall and hurt himself one way or the other and Nonō had her hands full with him. She scoffed; he was no demon. But she still feared for the safety of the other children when they would see him amongst them, and she had participated in enough arguments with the Civilian Administration to know how petty they could be. So, she had neither encouraged nor discouraged it when the children began to copy the adults in the village in ostracizing Naruto. It was good for her that she had not to be the one to teach her children to make some other kid's life miserable; she didn't know if she could do that. She really didn't hate Naruto. She didn't fear him, either. But then she would remember that the major reason why she couldn't get a new partner here was because of him, and she knew she didn't even love him. He was one of the reasons her hair had gone half-white while she still had three more years to reach forty.

But when Suzaku-kun, the eerily mature boy who helped her as much as he could with the work, would never leave Naruto's side, she didn't want to stop him either.

Life never had easy solutions for her; she knew that a long time ago. She sighed.

"Suzaku-kun", She called him in her warden voice that got things done in the Orphanage. Nonō was always soft with them; she was the strict one.

Suzaku left his hold on Naruto's hand and came to her. "Yes, Aida-san?" he politely enquired, with grace in his childish voice.

She looked him in the eyes. "Why do you not play with other boys, Suzaku-kun?" She decided to go for the blunt approach this time. It was for his own good.

He sighed and looked down, kicking the ground at his feet. "Naruto is not a bad kid, Aida-san. He does everything you ask him to do. He is quiet, and sullen when he is around others. But he is very cheerful and loud around me. I like being with him." He answered in a tone that implied that they had had these discussions many times and he was tired of answering this question. They had. And he most likely did.

She looked back at Naruto. He was looking at them with apprehension and fear in his eyes. It broke her heart.

"Suzaku-kun, you know no one else will play with you if you keep playing with Naruto." She had no means to save Naruto from his fate, but Suzaku was still not a lost cause.

"I don't want to play with mean people like them too."

Perhaps he was. She couldn't think of anything else to avoid this other than breaking _the_ rule.

"What do you imagine would happen, Suzaku-kun? The villagers hate the boy, I know you know it. What do you think would happen if you continue this? What will you do if the villagers turn on you too? You want to become a Shinobi," and here she gave an inward shake of head; even this precocious boy was not above resisting the charms of that damned occupation. She had seen the mountains of books this child read; he must be a genius like the Uchiha heir they talk of. "but if you continue to be seen with him, I fear the villagers won't let you achieve your dreams."

Suzaku looked her in the eyes, almost glaring at her; he never was too afraid of her. "I will become a shinobi, Aida-san. And Naruto will too. We will become ninja together." he said with such conviction that she had to wonder if he could see his future. She blinked.

"Why do you want to become a Shinobi?" She asked, almost despite herself.

" _I wanna become strong!"_

" _I'll be the next Hokage!"_

" _It's cool!"_

"…Because I want to protect you and the children at the Orphanage." He said quietly. "I couldn't save Shirou-chan, but I want to save everyone else still here. From those shinobi that come here and from anyone else that lays harm to us. I will never forget how you and Yakushi-san took care of us. And I want to protect Naruto from these villagers you speak of, the ones who hate him." He stood there, taking deep breaths, but determination flowing through him.

Masayo didn't know what to say in response to that, other than manage a choked "Oh". She stood there, stunned and silent while the boy now started to fidget.

Then she looked back at the grave again, the date and the name freshly engraved on it. She looked above at the cloudless sky, recalling Nono's last words to her.

" _ **Take care of Suzaku-kun and Naruto-kun for me if I don't come back, Aida-san."**_

" _ **Don't say that! Believe in yourself, you must come back!"**_

 _ **Nonō smiled, a note in her hands, "Suzaku-kun is possibly a very special child. Please support him in his endeavors."**_

 _A special child he is, Nonō,_ Masayo thought, with tears running down her face.

#

" _I am the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It's awful_." - J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye.

#

To Be Continued


End file.
